The African Broadcast Media Partnership Against
HIV/AIDS (ABMP) is an historic pan-African
coalition of broadcast companies for the purpose of reinvigorating
and increasing the effectiveness
of broadcast media’s contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The ABMP aims to embrace all
African countries and to include both public and commercial
broadcasters. Inspired by UN
Secretary General’s call to action under the Global Media
AIDS Initiative, the ABMP creates a
structured framework for leveraging broadcast media resources
with the goal of significantly
expanding HIV/AIDS-related broadcast programming across Africa.

The leadership for the initiative comes from the broadcast
companies working together for a
common commitment to a stepped up effort in the fight against
HIV/AIDS. ABMP signatory
companies have pledged an unprecedented 5% of daytime airtime – approximately
one hour per
day – for HIV/AIDS content. The commitment of broadcasters is
defined by an alignment of
interests and expectations; airtime is not purchased for
placement of HIV/AIDS messaging and
companies are committed to leveraging existing resources
for increased HIV/AIDS
communication. As influential opinion leaders in their respective
communities, media leaders’ active engagement
in the fight against HIV/AIDS also sends a powerful signal to policymakers
and other stakeholders about the importance of a collaborative
and stepped up response to the
HIV/AIDS epidemic.

A central objective is to promote a new paradigm in the broadcast
industry’s approach to
HIV/AIDS-content based on:

Promotion of a business-centred approach incorporating
HIV/AIDS as part of broadcasters’ core business and ensuring
integration of HIV/AIDS-related messages and
themes across all programme formats and schedules;

By taking a business-centred approach, the ABMP
seeks to: mainstream HIV/AIDS related communication
and programming; leverage existing programme formats
and broadcast resources in support of increased HIV/AIDS-related
communication; and provide for sustainability of
the approach and the stepped up effort.

To meet its goals, the ABMP will facilitate two
streams of content development within the pan- African
strategic HIV/AIDS communication framework:

Core content(generally
PSAs and short format programming) will be centrally
developed with creative input from the signatory companies
and distributed rights free across all
signatory companies;

Company content will
be developed by signatory companies integrating the
key messages and themes of the HIV/AIDS communications
framework across existing
programme formats

The ABMP is overseen by a Steering Committee of broadcast executives nominated by the broader ABMP membership meeting annually. ABMP member companies provide a minimum of 5% daily airtime in support of the ABMP’s efforts as well as substantial personnel and production resources. The YOU campaign is developed and produced with the operational, technical and funding support of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNAIDS, UNICEF, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Health Organization.